Youths have been challenged to apply their knowledge and skills in finding
solutions to the current social and economic challenges facing the country.
Speaking yesterday at a ‘Dr Reginald Mengi Tweet Poverty Eradication
Competition’, the winner for July, Tony Alfred a graduate from the
University of Dar es Salaam argued that one’s ability to solve social and
economic challenges is one’s capital.
The graduate spoke shortly after Dr Reginald Mengi who initiated the
competition presented him with a cash prize of 1m/-.
The winner, who is currently working as an entrepreneur running mobile
coffee services at Ubungo Bus Terminal, said the vast majority of youths
assume that establishing a business requires huge capital.
“As a result a majority of them including graduates get discouraged because
they do not have the capital,” he said.
He said youths must be creative enough to find solutions to challenges,
reasoning: “Such solutions are one’s capital… courage, knack for planning
and confidence, are among the credentials young graduates should possess.
“The idea of providing coffee services at Ubungo Bus Terminal came to me
one day, when I was travelling upcountry. I couldn’t find the service at
the bus stand, so I considered it an opportunity,” he said.
Last month’s question on \’Dr. Reginald Mengi Tweet Poverty Eradication\’
was, “how youth, with neither employment nor money can financially liberate
themselves?”
The winner answered: “As a youth think of what you can do for society in
the present situation. The answer will be your capital and employment”.
The tweet got a total of 1,225 responses from various youths across the
country.
For his part the first runner-up, John Mkungu from the Nelson Mandela
University in Arusha said the youth should know their preferences and
engage fully in providing standard services, noting that providing standard
services could attract customers.
The first runner-up received 500,000/- while the second runner up Maduru
Jumanne from Morning Star Radio got 300,000/-.
Jumanne said for the youth to get capital, those in rural areas should
engage in agricultural activities while those in urban areas should find
casual employment and while minimising their costs of living and save
enough to establish their own businesses.
In mid May this year, the IPP Executive Chairman introduced the initiative
to make a repository of new innovative and practical ideas to address the
poverty crisis in the country.
The initiative uses social media, in this case twitter accounts, to collect
ideas from the public that can be applied to resolve poverty in their
communities whereas every month, the top three ideas win prizes in cash and
kind.
Introducing the idea, Dr Mengi said the cache of ideas from the best tweets
collected will be published in a book which will subsequently be
distributed to the public.
For his part, Dr Donath Olomi the panel’s lead judge and the Chief
Executive Officer at the Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship
Development (IMED) said the creative tweets by youths can be utilised to
establish investments and eventually eradicate poverty.
However, he said the ideas can also be used by public institutions, private
institutions and policy makers for the good of the country.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
IPP Executive Chairman Dr Reginald Mengi presents one million shillings to
Tony Alfred, first winner of last month\’s competition involving topical
poverty eradication tweets. (Photo: Khalfan Said)